Before Faith
by Sam-453
Summary: (note in review section)CHAPTER 9 UP. A cross over with- get this- Bring It On. Faith's past. laugh if u will, but hey, i got inspired.
1. Default Chapter

            Disclaimer: none of it's mine.

            Note: feel free to think I'm crazy; I'm being to think it myself… I put this in the Buffy section cos after this chapter it will be mainly buffyverse. Anyway, hope you manage to actually read the story rather than just laughing at the idea of it…. Please review to tell me if it should continue it, or just go hit myself over the head repeatedly…

"So, you like?"

            "I definitely like! Courtney will freak though, and try her best to get you kicked off for it." The blonde smiled.

            "Yeah, but captain's decision is final, right?" the brunette grinned.

            "I'm sure we can work something out." 

            "You rock Tor." The two girls giggled, and continued into school, the brunette pulling her sleeve back down to cover the tribal tattoo on her right upper-arm.

            They walked into a classroom, greeting a large group of friends, and Missy flashed the tattoo to one of the guys, who grinned.

            "Cool." He said.

            "Wicked cool." She agreed, nodding.

            "So modest." He laughed.

            "Always."

            "Torrance. I thought we said no tattoos." said a busty blonde nearby.

            "Missy." Torrance scolded, annoyed she hadn't had time to think up an excuse. But before she could say anything else, the dark haired girl beside Courtney sighed and said,

            "Relax Cor. She's part of the team an' you know it." Most of the group gaped at her in amazement. "What? She is."

            "Damn straight." Tor laughed, mimicking her friend. Missy punched her playfully, and the problem was forgotten.

Later that day, Torrance and Missy were sitting on Missy's bed in her room. To say Missy was hyper would be a major understatement.

"God!" Tor laughed, "Calm down girl!"

"I can't! I dunno what's with me." The brunette said, grinning. "I've just had so much energy the last few days! Hyperactive is not the word."

"God, you really are becoming a cheerleader." Missy threw a pillow at the other girl.

"Hey!" she cried in mock insult. 

"Ooh, pillow fight." Came a voice from the hallway.

"Urgh, screw you Cliff." Missy said, grimacing. Torrance giggled, smiling at the boy.

"Hey Cliff."

"Hey." He said, moving to the bed and kissing her. Missy rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"I need to go out." She decided.

"Huh?"

"You, me… Cliff if he totally has to. We're going out on the town. I need to dance." Torrance shrugged,

"Ok." Said. Cliff agreed, and ten minutes later they were in Missy's car on the way to the nearest club.

---------------

"I'm telling you boss- it's a sure thing!" The man insisted.

"You're positive she doesn't know?"

"Absolutely. She has no idea. They don't even know! It's the perfect chance." A nasty smile spread across the 'boss's' ancient face.

"So, she's the slayer. But the council haven't found her yet. So she doesn't know it." The lackey nodded vehemently. "You're right. It's perfect. Round up the troops."

---------------

Missy was dancing wildly with any guy she could find. Her friends were close by; they'd met up with most of the squad, and were having a blast.

"Y'know what?" Missy yelled in Tor's ear as they continued to dance. Torrance shrugged, not bothering to attempt to out scream the music. "I love being hyper!" Missy finished, wrapping her arms round her current partner, a huge grin spread on her face. Torrance giggled, and turned back to Cliff.

Hours later, Torrance, Missy, her brother and some of the others stumbled exhausted up Missy's front drive.

"Cliff, you got keys?" she asked.

"Erm…" he murmured, detaching himself from his girlfriend and digging into his pockets. He grinned as her held up the keys, and headed for the door. It swung open the second he touched it, and Missy's heart skipped a beat.

"We locked it, didn't we?" Missy asked. Torrance nodded.

"Mom an' Dad maybe?" Cliff said. Missy shrugged hopefully, and the twins stepped together into the house. Missy swallowed nervously.

"Mom?" she called out. Silence answered. The group moved into the house, Cliff going one way, into the dining room, Missy taking the living room. The first thing she saw was the top of her father's head protruding over the top of his chair. "Oh, thank, god. Dad, why didn't you…" She began as she went further into the room. Then she just screamed. Cliff ran to the living room, and saw why. Their mother was sitting in another chair, blood covering her white blouse, starting from her neck. Her eyes starred vacantly at her son, but they saw nothing. Cliff held his breath as he moved to see his father. He too was dead.

"Oh god, oh god!" Missy cried. "Guys, get out, quick!" Torrance was amazed that the girl hadn't collapsed yet, and Missy her self didn't quite understand how she was still standing. All she knew was that her parents ha been murdered, and the killer was still in the house. Make that kill_ers_. She could feel them. "GO!" she screamed to the cheerleaders behind her.

"I don't think so." Said the vampire lackey. "You guys ain't going anywhere." Courtney screamed and tried to run past him. He grabbed her, snapping her neck without a second thought. "Anyone else?" He asked. The boy closest to him snap kicked him in the chest, sending him flying.

"One good thing about being a cheerleader." He quipped, before wrenching the door open and helping the others to get out. Missy hesitated, hating to leave her dead parents, but Cliff and Tor grabbed her arms and pulled her to the door. Outside, Missy saw that there were more of them. Vampires, for she knew this was what they were, with a horrid certainty, had appeared from nowhere. The girls were screaming as the monsters fed, working their way through the entire team. As one caught hold of a wailing Whitney, another girl grabbed a broom lying on the floor nearby and began whacking the vamp over the head. When the wooden handle snapped, Missy broke away from her brother and best friend and ran to retrieve the sharply ended shaft. Ignoring the yells from her brother, Missy advanced on the snacking vamps, propelled by pure rage. In minutes, one vamp was dust. Some of the surviving cheerleaders had got the idea, and finding anything wooden they could, they joined the fight. From behind her, Missy felt strong arms encircle her, dragging her back to the house faster than she could struggle. The front door was slammed, and Missy was manhandled into the living room. She was dumped on the floor, where she was able to see two more bodies on the hall floor.

"NO!" she screamed. Cliff's head was turned away from her, but she knew it was him. She scrambled to her knees, but the vamp that had bought her in pushed her back.

"Tut tut, girly. Be good now." Finally Missy's tears fell.

"Why?" she wailed.

"Why?" the vampire laughed. "Cos we're vampires kid."

"Shut up." Said a harsh voice from behind him. The lackey obeyed, and stepped aside. In front of Missy there now stood a vampire that she instinctively knew was centuries old. "Poor child." He said. "So strong, but so weak. Do you really want to know why?" Missy just nodded, still sobbing. "Because of you." He answered. Missy felt like her heart was being ripped from her chest.

"Me…"

"You. They are dead because of you." He said simply. "Maybe you don't know it yet, but you are the slayer. You've been feeling strong the last few days, yes? You are the slayer. It is your destiny to kill my kind. And now _you_ will die." The ages old vampire leant in towards the despairing teenager, and gasped as the broom handle was thrust upwards into his chest. "You… idiot." He croaked to his lackey, before disintegrating. The vampire rushed forwards, but the slayer held up the broom shaft, just daring him to come closer. He reconsidered, heading for the door, and Missy rose to her knees, throwing the makeshift stake like a javelin, skewering him from behind. Missy crawled to her brother's side,

"Cliff?" she gasped. She jumped when her brother drew a ragged breath. "Cliff? Cliff?" she said desperately. His blood was flowing freely, his eyes were wide, but they saw. 

"Missy…" he murmured, trying to lift his hand. She took his hand, squeezing it in comfort.

"You'll be ok." She sobbed. He smiled a little, shaking his head.

"No…Listen… Missy…"

"Don't speak, you'll be ok!" She assured him.

"No, Miss… I must…" He spoke as loud as he could, desperate to relay his message after hearing the vampire's words. "I want… you… know… I have faith in you…protect them… you are … my faith." he trailed off as his eyes rolled back.

"No!" She gasped. "Cliff please!" she shook him, knowing it was pointless. Raising her head slightly, her eyes moved to Torrance. She felt the girl's throat, and closed her eyes. She tried to stand, but her legs would not support her. The young girl collapsed finally, her hands desperately groping for a hold on her brother and her best friend as her tears flowed copiously, and her heart ached.

Later, (Missy did not know how much later) the police arrived, and prised the hysterical girl away from her dead sibling. She was walked down the path, the policewoman tried to stop the girl seeing the bodies that littered the front garden. But they were everywhere. Missy's eyes had no more tears. Her legs moved, but she didn't know where they were going. The police asked questions she answered without thinking. When she was allowed to go (she'd told them she could stay with an aunt who lived in town) she wandered the streets, not fully understanding why she was even alive anymore. She felt completely empty. Completely useless. When night fell once more, she returned home, going through the back to avoid the white lines adorning the front of the house. She changed her clothes and took some more from her wardrobe, stuffing them into a bag. At the bus station she bought a ticket to the first place she could think of. Then she sat on the bus, starring out of the window, wondering what she was supposed to do with her life now that she had nothing. She ran her brother's last words through her head once more.

_I have Faith in you. Protect them. You are my Faith._


	2. Faith

Chapter 2 About two weeks later 

Missy slumped about the small café, pouring coffee for the few customers.

            "Y'know it wouldn't kill ya to smile now an' then." Grumbled the patron as she returned to the counter.

            "Sorry." She said, giving him a huge, fake smile. Then she dropped it, the flat, blank look returning. He shook his head.

            "What happened to you kid?" he asked.

            "None o' your business."

            "It is if your mood drives away my business." He replied. Missy rolled her eyes. "You're done for the night." The man said.

            "But…"

            "Just go kid." She grabbed her bag and stormed out angrily. Her temper had been running high permanently since that night. Her head had been full of so much pain and confusion that other people's problems meant nothing to her. She sat down on a park bench near the café and bowed her head, realising that tears were coming again. She wiped them away, frustrated.

            "Missy?" someone said beside her. She leapt off the bench, looking round. She hadn't used the name since she left home, and everyone she knew was dead, so she had immediately raised her fists. "Relax, I'm a friend." The woman said, raising her hands in surrender.

            "Who are you?" Missy snapped.

            "I've come from the council. I'm to be your watcher."

            "My what?" The girl said frowning.

            "Look, I know this is going to be hard to believe, but you are the chosen one. You are a vampire slayer." Missy felt her heart wrench. She dropped her fists and turned away.

            "Leave me alone."

            "Missy! I know it's hard to believe, but…"

            "I believe you." Missy said without stopping.

            "You do? Then what…" she was cut off by her mobile phone ringing. Missy paused to listen. "Yes… And what did they find? … Oh god, no… her whole…? Oh lord… Yes… yes of course. Goodbye." She hung up the phone. "Missy… that was the council. Another operative was sent to your home to find out why you weren't there… I'm sorry Missy." She reached out to the girl, and Missy found she hadn't the energy to pull away. The watcher hugged Missy close. "I'm so sorry."

            "Its your fault." Missy murmured, sitting heavily on the bench.

            "What?"

            "They did it because I'm… whatever I am. And you people made me that."

            "No." the woman said, sighing. "No one can make you a slayer. It's fate. You just are." Missy felt another tear slide down her face.

            "Then it's my fault."

            "No. It's not. There is no way that it's your fault. Look… I can train you to fight, so that you can fight them."

            "No." Missy said, standing up. "No. I don't want this."

            "Missy, please!" Missy began to walk away, but her brother's voice sounded in her mind. _Protect them. You are my Faith._ "Missy."

            "Ok." The girl whispered, finally stopping. "Ok. But don't call me that."

            "What?" The watcher asked in confusion.

            "Don't call me Missy. My name… is Faith."

            The watcher, a woman by the name of Lana Greenwood, (lame I know- I just needed a name) took Missy- now Faith, back to her apartment, giving her a small but comfortable room and for the first time in weeks, real food. The next day they began training. Greenwood told Faith everything there was to know about the world of demon fighting, and though the slayer took everything in, the watcher worried for her young charge. She soon started to open her self up more, which she originally thought was a good thing, until she realised that it mean she was suppressing her past, pretending that it didn't matter, instead of actually opening up to her feelings.The woman could tell that this was the only way Faith knew of how to get over what had happened. In order to be strong, she eradicated that which made her weak. But the watcher knew it wasn't good for her.

            "Faith?" She said one night as the girl sat reading on the couch in the apartment.

            "Uh-huh?"

            "Are you alright?"

            "Five by five." It was a phrase she had formed since an early argument when the watcher had said that in order for her to be a slayer, everything didn't have to be perfect all the time- like a square- five by five, sometimes it was ok, to just be un even… rectangular. Meaning it was ok to be emotional, she didn't have to hide 'weakness' all the time. So now, when Faith wanted to say she was fine, she was five by five. The watcher sighed.

            "Faith…"

            "Seriously, Lana, I'm fine." The slayer insisted, knowing what was coming.

            "Do you miss them?" Lana asked quietly. Faith stiffened, but replied in barely more than a whisper.

            "Of course I do. Every moment." The watcher's eyes flew wide; Faith had never even consented to speak of what had happened before. Lana said nothing. "There's some nights when I wake up, and everything's dark, and just for a moment, I can't remember where I am. Back home, when I was on holiday or something and that happened, it was terrifying. But now… it's wonderful. Just for a second, none of that ever happened. My brother is in the next room; I'll see Tor and Jan in the morning. Mom will make me breakfast…" She broke off. "…and then I remember all over again. I remember that I'll never see any of them ever again. I'm sorry if I'm grumpy sometimes, Lana, but I just… I can't bare it…" she turned to her watcher, and frowned as she saw a look of deep confusion on the woman's face. "What?" the slayer asked.

            "You mentioned someone called 'Jan'."

            "Yeah, one of the squad. So?" Faith ignored the wrench she felt at hearing his name. "Lana?"

            "It's just… when I looked over the records, there was no one called Jan among the dead."

            "What?" Faith breathed. "He was there with us… I thought they all… Do you have the records?" Faith leapt of the couch, not sure whether to feel hope or dread.

            "Faith, I'm not sure if…"

            "Show me." Faith said in a voice very few could possibly argue with. Lana went to her room and retrieve the cardboard file, handing it to her slayer. Faith held her breath, flicking quickly past the photos to the list of casualties. There was Cliff, Tor, Courtney, Whitney, Les, Carver, Darcy… all of them.  But no Jan. She flicked through the rest of the file, and found an added report saying that Jan had gone missing the same night. "I don't get it. There were so many… he couldn't have gotten away."

            "Missy…" Faith flashed her a look. "Faith." The watcher corrected. "For all we know…" Faith sighed,

            "I know, they coulda turned him." She said, feeling tears well in her eyes. She had always been grateful that her friends had been spared that. "Or," She shrugged, "They mighta just taken him for a midnight snack." She added bitterly. 

            "Faith, there is a chance… they left you alive."

            "Yeah, cos I'd just killed their boss. Plus I was lying in a pile of bodies and blood- they probably thought I was dead…" she didn't want to allow herself to hope, knowing that if and when she found out the truth, _god what if she had to kill him?_ It would destroy her. She would be the wreck she'd been when Lana first found her. She wiped the tears angrily from her eyes. "The chances of him surviving are practically non existent and we both know it." She finished. Then, "Sorry." She murmured for snapping at the watcher.

            "It's ok." She replied. "I understand. Look, maybe you should get some rest…" The slayer shook her head.

            "Na, I'm going patrolling."

            "Faith, I'm not sure you're in the best state."

            "You kiddin'?" she asked with a short laugh. "I'm in the perfect state." She took a couple of stakes and the short wooden sword Lana had given her a couple of weeks ago. It was beautifully carved, with a slightly curved edge, and her favourite weapon. "See ya." She said absently, marching out of the door. Lana sighed. Faith, as she'd been told she would be, was a tough one.

            When Faith returned that evening, it was as if they'd never had the discussion. Faith smiled at her, and went to bed, calling 'Night.' over her shoulder. The watcher knew she could really never imagine the pain the girl felt every day, but she was certain that bottling it up could not be the best thing for her. However, she couldn't argue it. How else do you carry on every day when you know that every single person you care about in the entire world was slaughtered to get to you? She really couldn't blame the young slayer for her suppressive attitude to her pain. Furthermore, Lana knew that Faith would never admit any of this, and that confronting her would only end the same as the conversation earlier that day. 

            For weeks they continued the regular routine of training and patrolling, with no mention of the events leading to Faith's discovery of her destiny. No one meeting the girl would ever notice that she had suffered at all. She was lively and happy… on the outside.

            In these weeks, Lana soon found that the pain-hardened slayer, against all likelihood, came to trust her deeply. Even if she would never actually say it, Faith did not know how she would cope without her watcher. She was the one person she had. Lana was harsh when it was necessary, motherly when it was possible- Faith kept up the same care free attitude, but inside it meant worlds to her.

            When Kakistos rolled into town, Faith revelled in the stories of his hundreds of years of experience. She got a buzz thinking of how she could defeat him. She fought his cronies, turning the majority of his manpower into vacuum fodder. She couldn't wait to face the age old vamp himself. But when she did, she wasn't ready.

            Faith walked into the small apartment and knew something was wrong in less than a second. She could feel vamps everywhere. Before she had a chance to move, she was grabbed by Kakistos' 'men' and the door was slammed shut. When the cloven vampire showed, Faith could not move a muscle. Involuntarily, she was once again seeing the San-Francisco house, her parents dead in the armchairs, then Courtney, Jan's bravery, the broom… it was replaying like a movie in her head, and she wasn't certain she'd even be able to stand, if the vamps weren't holding her. Kakistos was holding Lana by her throat. Lana whimpered now and then, trying to get a breath. Faith was forced to watch while Kakistos… well, like she would later say, there isn't a word for what he did to her. Terrified beyond her own belief, Faith lashed out with all her strength. Fuelled by fear, anger and hatred, she called on her slayer strength to an extent she'd never experienced. She took out a couple of cronies, but couldn't reach Lana. So she ran. She ran and ran, taking with her only the bag she'd grabbed from by the door- something Lana had always insisted on. In case of an emergency, this bag contained spare clothes, money and weapons. Faith had grabbed it without even a second thought, and fled.

Note: I don't actually no if it WAS San Francisco, but I heard that somewhere… oh well, not like it actually matters. 


	3. Cheerleading

Ok, it's come to my attention that it was San Diego, not San Fransisco where Missy lived, sorry bout that- I really can't be bothered to change it earlier in the story, but from now on it will be San Diego. Chapter 3 

            Faith travelled around, scared to stay in one place too long. It was almost two weeks before she remembered Lana's mentioning two things- one was the second slayer in Sunnydale, the other, the watcher's retreat in England. She headed to SunnyDale, the cover story fixed in mind, and praying she had really lost Kakistos once and for all.

            In SunnyDale, (as you all know!) she did meet Buffy and her friends, telling them stories of her slaying achievements, some totally truthful (like the church bus story) and some rather exaggerated, such as the alligator story- it was an alligator like demon, but still largely man shaped. She was welcomed, if slightly coldly, by the other slayer, meeting her family and watcher, envying every one of these things. Once again, inside she was running high on pain. When patrolling with Buffy, she was able to vent some of it, but knew the other slayer was right when she accused her of going over the top and putting the small blonde's life in danger. But she would never admit it.

            Then Buffy informed her of Kakistos' arrival. Faith had immediately started to pack, wanting nothing more than to get out of this town before the vampire's arrival forced her to relive all those memories. Minutes later, he was there. Buffy did not – could not- understand Faith's reaction. For it was not only the loss of her watcher she was thinking of; memories of all the pain she'd faced in the last few years came flooding back- no wonder she totally freaked. But Buffy helped her. They ran, and Faith killed the cocky vampire. Then, breathing hard, Buffy turned to her and said,

            "You hungry?"

            "Starved." She replied, nodding. They got burgers and sat together eating, in the park. Buffy had not asked any more about her counterpart's watcher, seeing the subject was very painful. But after a while, she felt she had to say something.

            "I lost my first watcher too, you know." She said. Faith looked shocked.

            "Y'did?" she asked.

            "Yep. He was called Merrick. He's the one that called me. He died saving my life. There was this big shot vamp who got off on killing slayers. He drew me into a trap, and was about to kill me, when Merrick intervened. He was killed with his own stake." Faith didn't know what to say. Buffy said these things so simply, yet Faith could see the pain it bought to the girl.

            "You kill him?" She asked. Buffy nodded.

            "Ooh yeah. And burned down the school gym with all his cronies inside." Faith smirked.

            "Wicked cool."

Buffy smiled back, shrugging.

            "It was a release… got me expelled though, surprise, surprise. Had to move to lovely Sunny Dale." She rolled her eyes, and Faith laughed shortly. It was a natural laugh, and Buffy was glad to see she'd reached the other slayer, even if it was only in the smallest way.

            "I…" Faith began. She sighed. "She was called Lana. She was lovely. I don't think I ever let her know how much she helped me." Faith shook her head slowly. "I couldn't help her, B. When it really mattered, I was helpless." Buffy reached over, squeezing the girl's hand.

            "I know exactly how you feel." And it was the truth. Some part of Faith wanted to protest, but she couldn't. Buffy had felt the same loss- in this case anyway, and she wasn't about to start talking about life before 'Faith'. The two slayers sat there most of the night, just swapping slaying stories, Faith eventually admitting the truth about the alligator with a promise from Buffy that she'd never tell. 

            One night, after a relatively run of the mill scooby meeting, Cordy sighed impatiently,

            "Can I go now? It's not like there's some demon about to crash in, and I have cheerleading practice tomorrow morning." No one noticed Faith's head snapping up.

            "Girls leaping around with pom-poms… always thought it was more interesting than vampires…" Xander said dreamily.

            "Whatever Xander." Cordy scoffed.

            "What?" Xander frowned, "I was serious."

They all laughed, Faith feeling a pang as she thought how easily she could imagine Jan saying something like that.

            "You ok, Faith?" Buffy asked. Faith started, not used to having some one around who could understand her pains enough to read her.

            "Me? Fine. Great." But Buffy could tell this wasn't true. For starters, Faith's defensive walls hadn't been up, she hadn't even had the control to come up with her patented 'five by five'. However, Buffy just nodded and smiled, not wanting to push her. To deflect the attention, Faith said to Cordy, "I didn't know you cheered." Cordy raised her eyebrows,

            "What? You got some snide remark too? I'd like you all to note that Buffy used to cheer too, but nearly killed someone by throwing them across to the room." She sighed mockingly, "Such a loss." She said sarcastically. Buffy pouted,

            "I was under a spell."

            "That's what they all say." Faith grinned.

            "I guess you probably think that's really lame, huh? Cheerleading?" Buffy said. Faith shocked them all by shrugging,

            "I guess it's an acquired taste… it's not so bad." She didn't even realise she'd said it until it was out, and couldn't help the nostalgic tint in her voice.

            "You like cheerleading?" laughed Miss Tactful.

            "Erm," Faith tried to gather her wrecked walls. "Well, no, course not, but I mean… I gotta go now." She leapt up and rushed out, followed only by confused looks. 

            "What is her deal?" Cordy said, shaking her head.

            "Cordy, don't you even have emotions?" Xander asked. "She sounded all sad. What do you think it was about, Buff?"

            "I honestly don't know, but you're right, the subject seemed to really get to her…" Buffy said, still looking to the doors. "I'm gonna patrol, ok?"

            "K. Be careful." Xander watched her go, and went to Giles office where he Willow and Oz were looking up some demon info of the net. Cordy shrugged and left too.

            Buffy thought fast and headed to the first place she could think of that Faith might have headed to. Patrol could wait. Buffy knew how much it took to break through Faith's defences.

            Faith was sitting on a bench in a secluded part of Sunnydale Park. It wasn't one of her usual haunts, as she didn't want Buffy to find her. The reason… right now, she was not tough, unemotional, demon fighter Faith. She was a teenage cheerleader hating cheerleader, lamenting the death of all those she'd ever held dear. She was Missy, and it hurt like hell. For the first time since she'd seen Kakistos again, tears welled up, and the girl cried.

Hours later Faith returned to her crappy apartment, feeling immediately homesick for either of the places she'd called home in recent years. Just as she opened the door, she heard a voice behind her,

            "Faith!" Buffy called. Faith closed her eyes briefly, shutting down the memories of life before she used that name. Then she turned,

            "Hey B. What's up? Demons, vamps…?"

            "No, I just wanted to see you actually."

            "You saw me like an hour ago, B."

            "Three, actually." The blonde corrected. She shrugged, "I've been looking for you. Are you ok?"

            "See that's the thing about someone rushin' out. Generally means they don't wanna be found. I'm five by five B."

Buffy nodded knowingly,

            "So the walls are back up then."

            "What?"

            "Y'know, your permanent defense thing. You let it be breached, so you ran off and sat alone for three hours to reset, and now your peachy again." Buffy didn't even try to keep the annoyance from her voice.

            "What the hell do you know about it B? An' why do you presume I've been sitting alone? I coulda gone and done anything I wanted." Faith snapped back.

            "But you didn't. I looked everywhere in Sunnydale you can do anything." Buffy replied simply. "I just thought you might need a friend right now." She sighed.

            "What if I don't want a friend right now?"

            "Sometimes want an' need are kinda different." Buffy stated simply. For a moment, the two girls just starred at one another, not starring each other down, just each a little surprised that the other made so much sense to them. Faith pushed the door wider and stepped aside in a silent invitation, and Buffy entered.

            "So what is your deal with cheerleading? …sorry to be Cordy like." Buffy said. Faith shrugged,

            "Oh, y'know, made me think of … highschool. An' normal kid things I gave up when I left highschool."

            "I'm not that stupid."

Faith laughed.

            "I… it's nothin', B. Really, I was just in an odd mood, that's all."

            "Faith…"

            "That's all, ok!?" Faith snapped, "Just leave it, B!" Buffy sighed in frustration and turned to leave, brushing the dresser and knocking some papers to the ground. She stooped to retrieve them, picking them up before Faith could reach them. Beneath the pile of bills, Buffy found a photo. Her eyes went wide. A second later Faith had grabbed the whole pile off her defensively. But she knew what Buffy had seen.

            "Who are they?" Buffy asked. Faith, her back to the other slayer, didn't answer right away. "Faith?" She sat on the bed, abandoning the pile of post, just starring at the picture.

            "Friends." She murmured.

            "From Boston?" Buffy asked. Faith shook her head.

            "Before Boston… well, between…" Buffy just looked at her in question. "I grew up in Boston, but then we moved, and went to San Diego… then I went back to Boston." She said it vacantly, not moving her eyes from the picture.

            "So you knew them in San Diego?" Buffy prompted. Faith nodded. A tear trickled down her cheek, regardless of her efforts to hold it down. "Faith…" Buffy gasped, not knowing what she could say. Then, to both their surprise, Faith began to speak.

            "They were great. We had this whole huge group- we all hung out together, did everything together. My deal with cheerleading is that I was one." She choked a laugh. "The school didn't have a gym team, so I settled, even though the idea sickened me at first… its how I met them… we were wicked… second in the nationals. The school had been first for years, but the captain was ripping off routines… so we changed it. We used all these different styles… It was wicked… but the Clovers deserved it, after being shunted aside all that time… it felt so amazing when we got that trophy…" she kept thinking of the good bits, not wanting to breech the rest of the subject.

            "Can I see?" Buffy asked. Faith passed it over, barely conscious of anything.  Buffy looked at it. It showed six people, all smiling, standing mostly front to back in a line. There was Faith, pouting and wearing very non-Faith-clothes; then a dark haired guy waving his arms around, but snuggled up pretty close. Behind him were two giggly looking girls, one holding pompoms. Next was a blonde girl back to back with the last, breaking the pattern. She was wearing a bright pink halter, and holding on to the shirt of the guy who was last in line. He was looking mockingly sheepish- they were very clearly together. On second look at the last guy, Buffy noticed a bit of a resemblance… She turned the photo over, sure she'd seen some writing. In a messy scrawl, there was the following:

          Missy,

                    As irritating as you are, you lame little cheerleader, you did good. 

Luv ya sis- Cliff.

P.S –the sappiness may never be revealed to anyone, at pain of death.

Buffy was confused. She was sure this was to Faith, but it was addressed to Missy. But even so… this meant the guy on the end was her brother, and Faith had never mentioned any siblings, which in turn meant…

            "Missy?" Buffy asked.

            "That's my name." Faith told her. "Before everything… I was called Missy."

------------

I know the whole thing with the vamp that killed Merrick isn't quite accurate, but hey, artistic license, right?


	4. Changes

Sorry it's been so long. This is a short chapter, but there will be more… eventually. Chapter 4 

_Previously…_

_Buffy was confused. She was sure this was to Faith, but it was addressed to Missy. But even so… this meant the guy on the end was her brother, and Faith had never mentioned any siblings, which in turn meant…_

_            "Missy?" Buffy asked._

_            "That's my name." Faith told her. "Before everything I was called Missy."_

"Then Cliff, the guy on the end, right? He's your brother?"

"Was." Faith corrected.

"Oh, Faith…" Buffy gasped as grim realisation took hold. "Is he…?"

"They all are." She said quietly. "All of them and more. All cos o' me."

"Faith…"

"Don't say 'I'm sure it wasn't your fault' cos you don't know, B. I do. An' I wasn't my fault, in that I didn't do anything to make it happen. But I didn't stop it. I couldn't. When it mattered, as usual, I couldn't help them. So they killed them all…" She trailed off, tears escaping again.

"Because you were the slayer?"

"I didn't even know yet. I found out from the vampire git that killed my whole family, and had his guys kill my friends, all cos they figured it'd be a good idea to kill the slayer before she even was."

"Your whole family…"

"I lied about my past, B. My parents were the greatest. An' Cliff… he was cool… we were twins. Just before he died, he told me he had Faith in me… so… well… you can guess." She shrugged. Buffy felt tears coming to her own eyes as the darker slayer started to sober. She pulled her into a tight hug,

"I'm so sorry." She gasped, "Oh god, Faith I had no idea!" After a moment, Faith could not hold back any longer. She returned the embrace, grateful, whether she'd admit it or not, for the friendly warmth the other slayer offered her.

Later, when Faith was a little calmer, Buffy asked the question that had been burning all evening,

"So how did you get away? I mean, if you didn't know you were the slayer…"

"Kinda freaked." Faith said, choking a laugh, "This big shot vamp grabbed me an' told me that it was all 'cos I was the slayer, and he told me what that meant… then he said I was gonna die, an' it was him or me, y'know? I was holding this broom handle I'd been fighting vamps off with, and when he leant in… poof." A wry smile came to her lips, "Then his number two guy legged it, an' I threw the handle like a spear, and skewered him!" Buffy raised her eyebrows, "I was really pissed off." Faith shrugged. "Cliff had heard everything the vamp dude said, and that was when he said… well you already know that bit… god, Buffy, I was so scared. I had no one left. The cops took me for questioning, an' I told them there was someone I could stay with…"

"But you ran?" 

Faith nodded,

            "Damn straight I ran." She was fiddling with the bed clothes, her eyes averted.

            "You ok?" Buffy asked. Faith finally looked up.

            "Yeah, yeah I'll be ok."

Buffy smiled; a real smile, for she knew that this was the truth. Faith didn't need to hide behind the image anymore, at least not with Buffy, and it meant a lot to them both.

            "I should go… my mum's gonna be flippin'."

            "Yeah." Faith agreed with a half smile.

            "See ya Fa… d'you want me to call you Missy?"

            "Na, that's ok." Faith laughed, "Faith's fine."

            "K." Buffy grinned, "Night Faith."

            "Night." After Buffy left, Faith pulled a wad of photos from a draw by her bed, and cried herself to sleep.

Next day, there was an unspoken agreement not to mention the evening before. Faith was her usually chirpy self, and only someone who knew Buffy like Willow did would be able to see the new softness in their relationship. As silly as she knew it was, Willow felt jealous- Faith and Buffy had shared a moment and Buffy hadn't even told her about it.

Even inside, Faith felt great. Sure she'd cried herself to sleep, nothing would ever removed to sorrow for her loss, but she was more comfortable with Buffy. She had shared her pain. She was not alone anymore. 

The gang went back to routine, fighting demons, joking about demons… winning, being the good guys. Buffy and Faith became very close, but Buffy soon realised how put out Willow was feeling, and went to her one lunch break,

            "Will?"

            "Uh-huh?"

            "U ok?"

            "Yup."

            "You know you're my best friends, right?" Buffy ventured.

            "Yup. Absolutely." Willow replied, but the smile on her face gave Buffy the impression she hadn't been so sure.

            "Now and always. Ok?"

            "Yeah." Willow grinned, and they hugged tight. It was small, but it meant a lot to both of them.

            However, Faith and Buffy were very close. With their new found companionship, they were able to work better as a team- they responded to each other better, and could fight as one, reacting to the others need and commands as they would their own. This changed a lot.

See… in this world, there are infinite dimensions, a different one for every possible chose every person makes, and in many of those dimensions, something happened one night that ultimately split the two slayers completely. In some it caused Faith to go as far off course as imaginable, in some, it was Buffy; in some, it was even both. But in this dimension, as Faith and Buffy moved through that alley, staking vamps as they came, Faith heard someone move behind her, and spun, stake raised, Buffy screamed,

            "Faith, no!" And Faith's arm froze, right there, the point of the stake digging into the man's chest, but not piercing the skin. She relaxed her arm,

            "Shit that was close." She said, very shaken.


	5. what i once was

Update, update update update!!!!!

Chapter 5

            "You ok?" Buffy asked the man, who she now recognised as the deputy mayor.

            "Yeah…I, I came to warn you."

            "Warn us about what?" Buffy demanded.

            "The Mayor. The Acension. He'll kill us all."

            "Keep talking." Faith said when she found her voice. 

            "Graduation day. He will transform himself into a demon- pure demon. Box of Gavrok coming by courier in a couple of weeks… books of ascension…" The man was obviously terrified.

            "The mayor!?" Buffy exclaimed, "Well that is a turn up for the books. Why are you telling us this?"

            "Because I don't wanna die!" He cried, "The mayor says he'll spare me, but I don't believe him… he's evil… he's gonna kill me! Oh god, he's gonna know! After tonight he's invincible until the transformation, and he's going to kill me!" Alan Finch collapsed in sobs. The slayers shared a look of disgust, yeah, he'd warned them, but to save his own skin, not the town's. 

            "B… if this is the last night he's mortal, shouldn't we take him out now?"

            "But what if he's lying? And… what if now the mayor is human? We can't kill him while he's human."

            "But we could stop this ceremony, screw up his plans."

            "It's too late." Finch bubbled. He was looking at his watch. "All we can do now is pray. Faith rolled her eyes,

            "This guy is really getting on my nerves."

            "Oh yeah." Buffy agreed. "Anyway, right now we gotta get to the warehouse." Faith nodded in agreement. Leaving Finch to cry out his sorrows, they raced the final distance to the warehouse and peered through the gaps in the boarding. "Oh my god! They have Giles." Buffy exclaimed.

            "And Wes." Faith added. Buffy shrugged, nonplussed.

            "Buffy!" Angel exclaimed. Both slayers jumped.

            "Jesus, Angel!" Buffy whispered, "You scared me! What are you doing here!?"

            "Looking for you. They got…?"

            "I know. We need to save Giles and Wes from the Obese demon."

            "Nice way to put it." Angel said with a grimace.

            "Wanna play?" Buffy asked. Angel grinned, and the three burst in. The vamp guard were dust in moments. As good as Buffy was, she was twice as good with Faith at her side, and Angel, of course, took his fair share too. Balthazar bellowed angrily, and reached towards the nearest intruder, Faith. She found herself stumbling across the floor- she had no control over it. The next second, Balthazar's hands were about her throat, and the picture froze. Neither Buffy, Angel, or the watchers dared to move.

            "Kill this bastard, B!" Faith gasped. She could see the pain in the other slayer's eyes, and knew she would not risk her life by moving.

            "That's right little slayer." Balthazar croaked, "You get the idea. One movement and she dies. Now give me my amulet." With a fleeting glance at Faith, Buffy shrugged, 

"Don't have it." Which was technically true, she'd given it to Faith. Buffy glanced at Faith again as the ages old demon tightened his grip. This time, a silent message passed between the slayers, and a plan was formed. Before Balthazar could react, Faith launched herself up, using his grip as a pivot to backflip, landing with her knees about the back of his neck, breaking his grip. But her attempt to break his neck failed- there was just too much of it.

"Faith! Jump!" Buffy yelled. Faith didn't question it. She leapt upwards, grabbing anything she could, while one of the others fried the water soaked demon with a loose electrical cable. Faith dropped down beside the pool, a look of pure disgust on her face.

"Slayer! You think you've won. When he rises… you'll wish I'd killed you all." Balthazar gasped with his last breath.

"Whatever." Faith said.

"You ok?" Buffy asked. Faith nodded,

"Five by five."

"Well, erm, jolly good show. Well done." Wesley said. They all ignored him, and headed for the door. 

"Who did he mean?" Angel asked, "When who rises?"

"The mayor, probably." Buffy said. Giles chuckled, thinking she was joking.

"I don't think Sunnydale is quiet that bad yet."

"Na…" Faith said with a frown, "B was serious. He probably did mean the mayor. He's gonna turn himself into a pure demon on Graduation day." Angel and Giles gaped,           

"What!?"

"Yup." Said Buffy, proud that for once she was ahead of the watcher. "Oh, and he's invincible from now until then… which sucks."

"Pretty much." Faith agreed. Buffy frowned a little, and turned to Faith,

"How about those ribs?" She asked. Faith grinned, and they broke away from the group, leaving Giles and Angel looking utterly shocked.

A few days later, they were all in the library, researching ascensions, even Faith, who usually managed to get out of research.

"This is way beyond boring." Faith exclaimed, dropping her book on the table, "Is this what you guys always do when I'm not around!?" 

Buffy grinned,

            "This would be the downside to slaying, Faith. Meet Mr. Book. He has words in, with important meanings."

            "Yeah." Xander said, "And the power to make the chirpiest person fall asleep."

            "I hear that." Faith agreed. Just then, Cordelia burst in, in full cheerleader kit, making Xander's eyes fly wide.

            "None of you will _ever _believe this!" she exclaimed, holding up a video tape. Faith raised her eyebrows, and Cordy grinned. She put the tape into the machine, and turned to them. "This year, we want to actually get somewhere with our squad, right? So we were watching some tapes of the best routines over the last few years, right?" Faith stiffened. "Well, you guys just watch this. I freaked, I couldn't believe this." She flashed a look at Faith, and the slayer's heart did a back flip. She prayed that this wasn't what she thought it was. Cordy pressed play, and a picture came up of the cheerleading nationals from the year before. An anchor woman was introducing the next team, which meant nothing to any of them, except Faith, who considerably paled.

            "Y'know, I've remembered somewhere I gotta be." She said quickly. But Cordy shook her head, 

            "No way. Sit." So she was forced to watch as the routine began- the cheerleaders were wearing red and black, and the routine consisted of all sorts of different dance styles combined into one. Buffy saw the point before the others, and realised what was causing Faith's distress. Faith was starring at the screen, unable to look away now, and tears were filling her eyes.

            "Cordy…" Buffy began, but she shh-ed her, and pointed at the screen,

            "There!" She proclaimed, pausing the video, and giving them all a little grainy, but still pretty clear picture of one of the girls. The scoobies gasped, and turned to look at the most un-cheerleaderly one of them. Her eyes were glued to the screen, tears running down her face.

            "Oh Faith." Buffy breathed, moving to her side.

            "See!" Cordy said proudly, "Faith used to be a cheerleader!" Her smile faltered slightly as she turned to see Faith. 

            "Keep playing it." The slayer said quietly.

            "Faith..?" Buffy began.

            "Now she's started it, I wanna see it all." Faith said. So Cordy played the rest of the tape. At the end of their routine, it cut to the Clovers, and then the award ceremony, where Faiths team were announced second, and she and Tor skipped forward, squealing, to collect the trophy. Tears were streaming down Faith's cheeks. A moment later, Faith grabbed the control, and paused the video. Touching the screen and looking to Buffy, she said, "There. You see?" Buffy looked closely at the picture- at the area of the crowd Faith was pointing to. She nodded in understanding.

            "Cliff." She said. Faith nodded, and turned back to the screen. When she began speaking again, Buffy had the impression she didn't even realise she wasn't alone… or maybe she just didn't care.

            "It was right after that that he got together with Tor. It freaked me out, at first, y'know, her havin' a crush on him… but they were the cutest couple. Damn that day was amazing… I'd never felt so good in all my life, an' that's the truth… Cliff an' Tor… not as if I didn't see it comin'…"

            "Wait, so this is about you freaking over some girl getting with a guy you like?" Cordy said, earning deadly looks from the rest of the group.

            "Cordy… Don't you even have feelings?" Buffy snapped.

            "S'ok B." Faith murmured, not turning from the screen. "It wasn't a guy I liked, Cor. It was my brother, and my best friend… the best friend I'd ever had… they were great together…"

            "But… I didn't think you had a brother." Cordy said quietly.

            "I don't, anymore." Faith said, her voice cracking, "I can't do this, sorry B." She said, grabbing her jacket and walking out.

            "Faith!" Buffy called after her. She shot a killing glance at Cordy and ran after her. "Faith, wait!" she called, catching up to her.

            "I'm sorry, B! But I can't… I gotta be alone."

            "Faith…"

            "I know… but sometimes, you just need some space, y'know?"

            "Where will you go?" Buffy sighed.

            "I dunno… my place maybe, or just the park… slayin' might cheer me up!" She forced a laugh.

            "Will you be ok?"

            "You know it, sista." Faith smiled.

            "Any time you wanna talk…"

            "Y'know it's possible to over do the good guy thing, right?"

            "Take care of yourself." Buffy smiled. "What should I tell them?" she pointed a thumb over her shoulder.

            "Whatever you want." Faith shrugged. "The truth I guess, it'll save me sayin' it later."

            "You sure?"

            "Yeh, B. See ya later."

            "See ya." Buffy smiled, watching her go before returning to the library. 

Cordy was looking very edgy, Buffy was sure the others had told her off. But Willow and the others just looked saddened, and curious.

            "So what was that all about, Buffy?" She asked.

            "Long story." Buffy said.

            "Can you elaborate?" Giles asked. Buffy nodded,

            "If you guys want me to."

            "All I'm getting is that Faith, bad-ass, all cheerleaders should die Faith, was part of some wicked cheerleading team, and had a brother that she never told us about." Xander said.

            "That's the gist." Buffy sighed, "But it's more complicated than that… She was part of that team, yeah. She told me she only joined cos she'd just moved there, and the school had no gym team, so she settled for cheerleading. She made friends, and enjoyed it after a little… and after that," Buffy gestured to the tv, "They we're all real close, almost like family, she said. Her twin brother Cliff got together with her best friend, Torrence…"

            "Torrence Shipman!?" Cordy exclaimed, "She's like, famous in the cheerleading world! She got a girl injured in their first training session, and then they ended up with the best routine anyone has seen in ages, but the came second cos no one could forget the appalling regionals… anyway, she died! Her and a whole load of other cheerleaders were murdered last year!" Buffy looked at her meaningfully, and though the others were all wide eyed, it took Cordy a while to grasp the meaning of what she just said. "Oh god…" She gasped finally, "And Faith knew them all…"

Buffy nodded,

            "A load of vamps decided to get the jump on the new slayer before she even knew what she was. So they went to Faith's house, killed her parents, and waited for her to come home… she was with her brother and the squad… they killed them all, and told Faith why."

            "Because of her." Willow said quietly, finally realising a whole load about Faith, and understanding why Buffy had not confided in her when Faith and her had shared something.

            "Yeh." Buffy confirmed. "The big bad told her that they all died because of her, and then he tried to kill her, but she was really pissed, and killed him. Afterwards, she ran, changed her name, moved towns… soon her watcher found her, but when she died too… that's when she came here."

            "What was her name before?" Willow asked.

            "Missy." Cordy replied, surprising them all. "Only two people were unaccounted for after the murders, a girl called Missy, who the police found, but she disappeared after questioning, and a guy called Jan."

Buffy raised her eyebrows,

            "Faith never told me that Jan wasn't found."

            "What if she doesn't know?" Cordy said, worried, but excited for her too, this meant there was chance that he survived. Buffy shrugged,

            "I'll tell her when I see her… I'm kinda beat, I'm goin' home." She said her goodbyes, and left. Slowly the group began to filter out and Cordy found herself walking beside Oz down the corridor. She got a thought,

            "Hey, Oz?"

            "Yup?" He replied.

            "When we were looking for Willow and Xander… the other day…" The subject was still very painful, "You could smell Willow, right?"

            "Yup." He said stiffly.

            "Can you smell other people?"

            "Yup."

            "Then… could you do something for me?"


	6. Feeling

Whoohey! New chapter after all this time. Hope its up to scratch. Thanks soo much for all your reviews, I probably wouldn't have continued this with out them. Chapter 5 

Cordy approached the bench carefully, not really sure what she should say.

"What is it Cordy?" Faith said before she even reached her. Cordy gasped. Faith was sitting with her head in her hands- Cordy hadn't realised she knew of her presence.

"I… I wanted to talk to you."

"How'd you even find me?" Faith asked, raising her head. Cordy shrugged,

"Oz, y'know, with the wolfiness… Look, I just wanted t say I'm sorry."

"S'ok." The slayer said quickly.

"No it's not." 

"Yeah it is, Cor.." Faith repeated.

"No." Cordy chuckled, "Cos if it was ok, and you were ok, you'd be normal you, and you'd be yellin' at me right now."

Faith sighed. Cordy sat beside her, "I really am sorry. I should have put two an' two together. I knew about the… what happened… but I'd never figured it was vamps, and even when I knew you were in the squad… I'm so sorry."

            "They were like family to me- some of them _were_ my family… I guess maybe I should have told you guys…"

            "No… it's your business… there's no reason for you to have told us that stuff. Look… what I wanted to say… I've heard quite a bit about what happened, and you weren't the only one who wasn't killed, Faith." Faith's head snapped to meet the other girl's eyes. "There was a guy called Jan…" Faith's heart fell,

            "I know. They never found his body."

            "Buffy said you never mentioned it."

            "I didn't. Truth is he's still probably dead. I didn't want Buffy to think I was entertaining dumb possibilities."

            "It's not dumb, Faith!" Cordy said horrified. "I heard that they searched his room afterwards, and stuff was gone… yours too they thought, but they couldn't be sure, cos… But his parents said stuff was gone."

            "You probably heard wrong. It's just a rumour. He's dead, Cor."

            "Faith, you cant just give up…"

            "He's dead." Faith snapped. Cordy realised that whether she liked it or not, that was the end of the conversation.

            No one saw Faith for a few days after that, not even Buffy. She didn't answer or return phone calls, she didn't come to meetings, or go patrolling, and there was no answer at her door. Buffy feared the worst, but wasn't sure what the worst even was… Cordy, meanwhile was looking up everything she could on what had happened in the hope of finding some lead on the other missing cheerleader. The fact that the police had done this over and over and found nothing did not discourage her. She even stole one of Buffy' s crossbows and headed down to Willy's- she felt so awful about the scene in the library, and that was rare for her- she really did care, and the unusual feeling was nagging terribly at her. But even after yelling demons into submission, she found nothing useful. If Jan was alive, which she had to admit was doubtful, then he was very good at pretending he wasn't. Just like Faith. Every time Cordy thought of it, she had to stop what she was doing for a moment. She couldn't believe that the girl she had seen jumping, skipping and yelling all the way to pick up the trophy was the same one she'd shared harsh words with so many times. Faith was so full of misery and pain, and showed so little to anyone, and Cordy couldn't even imagine the horror it must have taken to transform Missy into that. She knew what had happened, sure, but she knew that no one who hadn't lived it could ever understand what Faith had been through.

            Faith just wanted to be alone. She knew it wasn't good for her. She knew that letting these things fester within her was the worst possible course of action. But she didn't care. None of them could possibly understand. She couldn't take their pity- it made her feel sick. She didn't deserve pity. And she didn't deserve to let it go. She couldn't talk it out, and get over it, like other people might, because she felt, completely and truly that it was her fault, through and through. Moving on would be a betrayal of their memory. 

            So many times in those few days, Faith sat in her small room, just listening to the phone ring, or someone knock on the door. And not once did she have to slightest urge to answer. She didn't want them, She told herself. But deep down, the reason was that she was terrified she would get them killed too.

            Four days after the scoobies found out, Faith was still sitting alone in her apartment. She was curled up in a ball in the battered armchair in one corner. There were photographs strewn on the floor around her, and her cheeks were stained pink from tears. Some hours ago she had finally broken down. She had sobbed and cried over the pictures until there were no tears left. Now she just sat, starring blankly at the wall. In the background, she could vaguely hear knocking on the door, and a voice. She ignored it. Suddenly, with a loud bang, the door was kicked open. Faith jumped slightly, but she didn't jump up, ready to fight if it was a bad guy, she just moved her sorrowful gaze to the door, almost hoping that it was a bad guy, come to finish her once and for all. Instead she saw Buffy, standing there with a look somewhere between anger, worry and deep pity. But as soon as her eyes met those of the other slayer, Buffy ran to he, dropping to her knees beside her and pulling Faith into her embrace. Faith didn't resist. She huddled into her closest friend's warmth, and found that the tears began to flow once more.

            "That was just after we won." Faith said, a faint smile brightening her features. "Tor and Cliff had just got together." They were sitting on the floor, going through all the photos.

            "And this one is Jan?" Buffy asked.

            "Yeah. That's Jan." Buffy couldn't have missed the wistful tone, and decided she had to ask.

            "Why didn't you tell me he might be alive?"

            "Cos he's not, B. There's no way he got away."

            "You did."

            "I'm a slayer, and I was seriously pissed off."

            "You think he wasn't pissed!?" Buffy exclaimed. "I know it's unlikely, Faith, but there is a chance."

            "So what? I'm meant to pretend he's gonna turn up one day and say, 'Hey Missy! How're ya doin'? B, if he's not dead, then he's either undead, or seriously disturbed."

            "Doesn't mean you shouldn't hope."

Faith shook her head.

            "Hoping will just make it hurt more when I find out it was pointless."

            "But you might not…"

            "Be realistic, B! He's dead, and we both know it."

            "Whatever." Buffy sighed. "You wanna go patrol?"

            "Yeah, why not." Faith replied with a half smile.

            After that, things pretty much went back to normal. The scoobies all felt so sorry for Faith, but knew she would hate them to show it, so they just tried to be normal. Buffy held back nothing from the other slayer. She told her exactly what she thought, and Faith accepted it, even if she didn't take heed. Cordy, however, still felt awful, and tried her best to be nicer to the slayer. It was several weeks before she came up with an idea.

            She'd had a crappy cheerleading practice the night before, and was seriously despairing for her team. It was the middle of the spring term [this is where timing gets screwy. I know it should be later than that cos the whole deputy mayor thing happened not long before the ascension… but its not that far off… anyway, I need to still have a decent amount of school left, so deal with it.]

So… yeh, It was the middle of the spring term, and with the biggest tournament they ever got into being around graduation time, Cordy knew they would have no chance. So Cordy entered the library sheepishly, and wasn't sure whether she was glad or terrified to find that Faith was the only one there. She looked up briefly from the comic she was reading,

            "Hey Cor. No one else is here yet."

            "That's ok… it was actually you I wanted to talk to." Cordy said.

            "Really?" Faith looked up again with a frown.

            "Yeah… I have a proposition for you. And I totally understand if you refuse outright, and it's just an idea, y'know, it's not like…" 

            "Stop babbling and cut to the chase." Faith snapped.

            "Right." Cordy said, still unsure she should be saying this. "Ok… Well, see, it's just that our squad kinda sucks at the moment, and we really need someone who could just make that bit of difference, y'know? And you are like one of the best cheerleaders I've ever seen…" Faith was looking at her with eyebrows raised, a look that said simply 'you have to be kidding me'. "Just hear me out, ok? Faith, you are incredible…"

            "No, Cor. I am _not_ a cheerleader. _Missy_ was a cheerleader. Faith is not."

            "You are Missy." Cordy said simply.

            "No. Not anymore." Faith replied quietly.

            "Yes. You are." Cordy snapped. "You can't just hide away all your feeling all the time, Faith. I saw your face on that video, and I saw the look in your eyes when you talked about your friends. Those were some of the happiest times of your life, right? Well you can't just throw that away, Faith! I know you blame yourself, and I know you think that being happy is like betraying them, but that's stupid! I know that it meant a lot to you, and you have to chance to do it again. Help us, Faith… Missy. They would want you to be happy."

Cordy's blunt tactlessness cut into the slayer with brutal accuracy, but she shook her head.    

            "No, Cor. That's not me anymore…" She said, standing up, "And besides, I don't even go to school here, and none of your cheer-bitches would let me in."

            "You could enrol, there's still enough of school left for you to enrol, and they would let you in if they thought you could make a difference!"

            "But they wouldn't. Cos they can't know who I really am, Cor."

            "That doesn't matter, I can convince them! Faith, please!"

            "No. Sorry, Cor. But no." The slayer said firmly. She headed to the door, calling out behind her, "Tell B I'll meet her in the South cemetery tonight."

Cordy sighed, and folded into a chair. Well, at least she had tried.


	7. Holy Moley and Mashed Potatoes

Sorry its been so long… again… this is sorta a sideline story, cos I have a couple of major ones im working on. Anyway, hope you like this… this chapter is sorta… well, its weird, you'll see. ;)

Chapter 7 

_Previously:_

"You are like one of the best cheerleaders I've ever seen…"[Cordy said] Faith was looking at her with eyebrows raised, a look that said simply 'you have to be kidding me'. "Just hear me out, ok? Faith, you are incredible…"

_            "No, Cor. I am not a cheerleader. Missy was a cheerleader. Faith is not."_

_            "You are Missy." Cordy said simply._

_            "No. Not anymore." Faith replied quietly._

That night, Faith met Buffy in the graveyard, and they patrolled as usual, but Buffy felt that her friend's heart, for once, was not in it. She pummelled vampires just as hard, of course, but she took barely any notice of her actions. It didn't take Buffy long to figure that as the last one of the scoobies Faith had seen was Cordy, the likelihood was that Cordy must have said something tactless yet again. Thinking this over, she became sure that this must have been what happened. She was getting very pissed off. So much so in fact, that it was Faith, not Buffy, that said,

"Are you ok?"

"Huh?" Buffy replied.

"You seem kinda distant." Faith said. 

"Me?" Buffy was startled. "I seem distant?" She laughed shortly, "I was just… I was just trying to work out what Cordy musta said to get _you_ so pissed off and distant."

Faith grinned, but shrugged.

            "It was nothing. Just Cordy, y'know?"

            "I definitely know. You sure you're ok, though?"

            "Yeah. I'm good." Faith insisted.

            When Faith returned home, she collapsed into the chair, and breathed a deep sigh. She picked up a pile of photos and with half a smile, she began flicking through them, remembering the happier times.

Cordy sat heavily on the bench at the side of the hall, throwing her pompoms to the ground.

"This is hopeless." She murmured.

"Cordelia!" The head cheerleader wailed, "Come on, we have to do this!"

"What the hell is the point?" Cordy snapped. "I mean we…"

"What in hell do _you_ want?" Someone else snapped, looking towards the door behind Cordy. Cordy spun, to see Faith leaning casually against the door frame with her arms crossed over her chest.

"I think the question is what do _you _want?" Faith replied, looking pointedly at Cordy. Cordelia's jaw dropped. No. Friggin. Way. "Cos I gotta say that last routine was just sloppy. You two are totally out of time, [she nodded to two girls on the end] and no offense [her tone suggested that that this was a lie] but the content is just crappy. You actually come up with any of that yourselves? Or just cut an' paste from those videos?"

The head cheerleader looked appalled, and then, with a dawning look, turned to Cordy,

            "_This_ is her?"

            "Uh-huh." Cordy said, grinning. She knew that insulting them might not have been the best way to get in, but she knew Faith's style too. "This is her."

            "You _are_ kidding, right? This dyke we've seen prancing around school all year? No freakin' chance, Cor."

Faith almost laughed, she could have sworn this girl was the reincarnation of Courtney. 

            "Give her a chance. Please?" Cordy said. The captain rolled her eyes, and grinned evilly, 

            "Ok then. Front handspring, step out, rounded back handspring,  
Step out, rounded back handspring, full twisting layout." She smiled smugly. Faith nearly collapsed in her hysterics.

            "Now _you're_ kidding." She said breathlessly.

            "What? You think it's impossible?" The captain mocked.

            "Na." Faith said, sobering. "I _meant_ I didn't think it'd be quite that easy." She dropped her bag at her feet, and without a moments pause went into the moves, landing easily, and smiling wryly at the captain. "Any questions?" She asked. The captain swallowed.

            "You can't just waltz in. You don even go to school here…"

            "Enrolled this afternoon." Faith countered. Cordy grinned wider, she hadn't ever expected faith to actually take her offer.

            "Well… then I guess there's only one way left to test you." The captain snapped. She grinned to her friend beside her, and stepped away from the group. Then, with a short run up, she started a spectacular run of flips, twists, jumps and other moves most of the squad would have given anything to accomplish. She finished, and stood with her hands on her hips. "Beat _that."_ she said with a tilt of her head. Faith's expression did not change in the slightest. She walked to the position the captain had started in, and began. She basically followed the same lines, but every leap was higher, every spin was longer, every flip was doubled up and every bit was performed with twice as much grace and precision. She did it as if it was what her body had been made to do. In a way, it was. Cordy nearly squealed with excitement. The captain looked shaken.

            "Well." She managed. "It's down to a vote then. Who wants…"

            "Faith."

            "_Faith_ in the squad?" She looked around at the team, who were exchanging nervous glances. Cordy's hand was up immediately. Slowly but surely, the others followed suite. They hated to piss off their captain, but they needed Faith, and every person in that room knew it. "I see. Looks like you're in then." She said stiffly. "I'm Michelle. Now, did you have a complaint about the routine?"

Faith opened her mouth, but Cordy said,

            "The routines suck."

            "Cordy!" Michelle cried.

            "What? It's true!" said another girl.

            "Cordy, Amber _and_ dyke girl are right." Said another. Cordy put a hand on Faith's arm to stop her killing the girl who'd just agreed with her and insulted her all in one.

            "We gotta revise the whole lot." A girl Cordy knew to be called Gwen said, shaking her head. Michelle sighed, she knew they were right. She wanted to be right, but more than anything, she wanted her team to do well, however clichéd that was. She swallowed her pride, and turned to Faith,

            "Any ideas?"

Faith smiled. Maybe this could be fun.

The next day, Faith looked up at SunnyDale high school with a grimace. It was eight thirty, and several hours earlier than she would usually get up. But it had been made clear the day before that if she was going to enrol so late in the year, then near perfect attendance would be necessary to convince Synder that she was serious. Otherwise she would be out. She shuddered. How much she wished she could turn Synder into demon and stake him. She dropped into interested thought… wonder if Will could manage that? She shook herself out of her daydream of killing Snyder, and proceeded into the school with grim determination.

            When she entered the library, the others were already there- she hated to think what time these guys must have gotten up. They all said 'Hi', Cordy particularly enthusiastic, but Giles just looked at her with the strangest expression. Crap. She thought. He knows- of course he would bloody know. Faith avoided eye contact with the watcher, and sat down.

            "I heard some very interesting news this morning." Giles said. The others looked curious, while Faith began to wonder if it was possible to get the chair to swallow her whole. 

            "New demon?" Buffy asked.

            "No, no, it is school related news." Giles replied, smiling wryly. "It seems we have a new student."

            "And this is where I realise I need to be going." Faith said suddenly, leaping out her chair, and heading for the door.

            "Faith?" Buffy cried, confused. Faith slowed, and turned with a wincing look. Maybe the hellmouth could open, right now? Please!? She thought. Giles grinned,

            "I have to say I _was _rather shocked." He said.

            "Shocked about what?" Xander asked. "The new student? Why? Who is it?"

Buffy gaped at the other slayer.

Willow's jaw dropped.

Oz's lips quirked in a tiny smile.

Cordy grinned.

            "What!?" Xander wailed.

            "You!?" Buffy exclaimed, still gaping.

            "Like I said, gotta go." Faith said, turning again.

            "Holy moley and mashed potatoes!!" Xander said suddenly. Faith couldn't help but stop, laughing,

            "Well that's a new one."

            "He made it just for you." Said Oz with a miniscule grin.

            "_You_ enrolled in school?" Willow asked. Faith grimaced, but nodded. Cordy was almost hopping,

            "Yeah, and…" She began, but Faith shot her a death glare, and she shut up. The others looked at Cordy oddly. "And… I got another manicure." She finished. They frowned, but took it as Cordy weirdness.

            "I have to ask," said Giles, "Why?"

            "Cos I keep getting asked what I'm doing here. Snyder threatened to have me thrown off the site if he saw me here again, and I kinda need to be here, so… here I am." Faith lied blatantly.

            "Yeah right." Buffy murmured. "You miss school, don't you Faithy." She said in a singsong voice.

            "Urgh! No way! If cutting right now didn't mean me getting kicked out and it all being waste of time, I'd be in bed! Its way to early." Faith grumbled.

            "So… why are you here?" Xander repeated. Faith shrugged,

            "Erm, got… bored…"

            "Whatever." Buffy snorted, "I will discover your secret." She said with a grin. Faith shrugged,

            "Whatever." Accompanied by another, subtler death glare at Cordy. Cordy smiled nervously.

            "So… what ya got first?" Buffy asked. 

            "Erm… Biology."

            "You're doing biology?" Xander exclaimed. Faith shrugged,

            "Got very close to picking subjects out of a hat, Xand. I figured that I know about demon guts… can't be all that different, right?" Buffy raised her eyebrows, and turned Faith back to the door while the others tried to get the scary pictures out of their heads, 

            "I'll show you the way." Buffy told her, marching her out.

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*grins* hope u like. No, im not completely insane, sorry if you can't imagine Faith cheerleading!! He he he, please review!!


	8. Settling down or not

Another update for you! Merry Christmas everybody!

Chapter 8

            "You wanna come over for dinner?" Buffy asked Faith at the end of the school day several weeks later.

            "Na…thanks, but I got stuff to do. I'll meet you in the park about nine?"

            "K. See ya." Buffy agreed. Faith waited until Buffy was out of sight before doubling back into school, and heading for the gym.

            Faith stretched out luxuriously as the squad headed to the changing room.

            "That was good." She said grinning. Cordy nodded,

            "All thanks to you." She said.

            "Don't you know it!" Faith replied with a teasing grin. Cordy nudged her, chuckling. 

            "At this rate, I reckon we could go far, Faith. I'm talking regionals here. Hell, maybe even nationals!"

            "Somehow I doubt it." Faith murmured. "And even if I did happen… I couldn't go." She added.

            "What!? You'd have to!" Cordy retorted.

            "I couldn't. You know that, Cor. What if someone recognised me? I'm meant to be dead."

            "But Faith…"

            "It's not gonna happen anyway. We're not that good." Faith said, slinging her bag over her shoulder and walking out without changing. Cordy sighed.

            "Hey B." Faith said.

            "Heya. You ok?"

            "Five by five, B." she replied. Buffy raised an eyebrow. "What? Am I never allowed to say that anymore? It's like my thing, B, you can't deprive me of my thing!"

            "Sorry." Buffy said, raising her hands in defense.

            "So- seen any vamps yet?"

            "Na. I only just got here too, Mom wanted to talk."

            "Ah. Serious talking?" Faith said with a grimace. Buffy chuckled, 

            "Na, just chatting. I think she's lonely."

Faith grinned,

            "B, do we need to set your mom up?"

            "NO! I mean… I'm not so good with my mom dating… last guy was a robot."

            "Ah. Always a set back."

            "Yup."

They both froze mid step as they heard noises from both directions- one sounded like a fight, the other was a scream. They split up without a word. Faith ran full pelt towards the scream, bursting through a tiny gap in a bush into the middle of a vamp gang who were terrorizing their dinner before eating her.

            "Sorry boys. Dinner's cancelled." She quipped before staking the first. The fight was brief, despite the odds of four to one, and Faith knelt beside the vitctim girl, who'd collapsed in shock. "You ok?" Faith asked.

            "Get away from me!" She cried, pushing Faith back. Faith frowned, _you're welcome_ she thought. The girl scrambled to her feet and fled, so Faith shrugged, and legged it back in the direction of Buffy's fight.

            When Faith arrived, Buffy had just staked the last vamp in sight, but she was frowning.

            "What is it?" Faith asked.

            "I dunno… There were loads of them. Some ran when they saw me, some tried to fight me, but the others, they were already fighting someone- a guy. He ran too…"

            " A guy? Vamp? Gang fight?"

            "No…he was human."

            "Then… bedtime snack?"

            "I don't know… He seemed to know what he was doing. Anyway, some vamps went that way, and some down that way. We should try to get them."

            "Right, I'll take this way." Faith said.

            "Careful- the guy went that way too."

            "Will be. See ya later B."

Faith set off in the direction Buffy had told her, stake raised and eyes peeled for any movement. At the sound of voices, Faith slowed to a creeping pace, stalking the vampire group like a lioness stalks her prey.

            "I think we lost 'em." One said.

            "Yeah. Looks like the slayer got herself another damned friend."

            "So what? Next time he tries anything, we kill him, problem sorted." 

Faith peered round the corner, and her brow wrinkled, damn. Six of them. But if she got the jump on them she could deal- Faith never had been one to back down from a fight.

            "And then, when he's outta the way, we can kill the slayers." Said another vamp. Faith struck, taking out two vamps before they could move.

            "Yeah, then you can walk on water and show me your flying pig." She said. The rest of the gang lunged. Faith dodged, revelling in the battle. Damn she was on good form tonight. Faith had never before realised how much cheerleading of all things seemed to loosen her up. As she fought, Faith was vaguely aware of a new comer leaping into the fight. Our mystery guy, she thought briefly, before continuing to fight- she didn't even look at him. Faith staked her fifth vamp, sensing 'the guy' had taken out the other. He was right behind her. Faith spun, still not sure where this dude stood, and slammed him against a tree, one arm across his chest, the other holding the stake, raised to chest height. "Who the f…" Faith began, but trailed off as their eyes met, and she lost all her breath. 

-------

Oh I am soo tempted to leave it there…. But that would just be mean, huh?

:D

you are soo lucky im in a nice mood!

------

Faith forced her armed to stay rigid, forced her legs to hold up, it felt like she was even forcing her heart to beat. She shook her head slowly, but it was he who spoke,

            "Missy…?" He gasped. Faith shook her head, but both of them knew it wasn't an answer.  "How?" He breathed.

            "I could ask the same question!" She snapped, injecting spite into her words, and putting the stake right to his chest. "You're dead. I know you're… cos you can't… so you must be…" she trailed off, the fear and pain clear in her eyes and voice.

            "No way, Miss… I'm not one o' them. In fact… how do I know you're not!? There's no way you got away that night!" He cut himself off, realising that the stake digging into his sweater was very sharp.

            "Err, hello! Stake! Fighting them! Lotsa dust!" Faith cried back, her mind reeling. He nodded, accepting that she couldn't really be a vampire.

            "But Missy… I swear I'm not…"

            "I know…" She gasped, tears spilling. She could feel that he wasn't a vampire. Her slayer senses told her that much the moment she saw him. Faith folded away from him, barely able to stand. "How…?" She croaked, finally collapsing to sit on the ground. For a moment, he couldn't move. He just looked at the girl on the ground before him. She was alive. After all this time, Missy was alive. He had left her in that house, with_ them_. Left her for dead… but she was alive. She looked up at him, tears sparkling in her eyes. She choked what sounded like a laugh. "Shit. Jan. You really are alive, huh?"

He smiled wryly.           

            "Yeh. God Missy, I'm so sorry…" He knelt on the ground beside her, wrapping his arms around her, "I'm so sorry…"

            "For what?" She asked, her voice muffled as she pressed her face into his warmth, and smelt a smell she hadn't in so long… a scent that was just Jan.

            "For leaving you!" He exclaimed.

            "Leaving me?" Faith asked, pulling back to see his face.

            "I ran! I ran away, thinking there was nothing else I _could_ do! I saw them take you back in… I was such a chicken…"

            "No." Faith said, "No. Jan, _I'm_ sorry… it was all my fault."

            "What?"

            "All of it… it was all cos of me." She said quietly. "When they dragged me back in… he told me why they were there…"

Jan frowned, and cut her off,

            "Yeah, they were looking for the new slayer, to get rid of her before she knew who she was… they made a mistake. How does that make it your fault?"

Faith pressed her eyes closed, hanging her head,

            "They didn't make a mistake." She gasped. "_I'm_ the slayer."

--------

Please review!


	9. Catching up

Viola, another chapter for ya. Sorry it's taking so long, but believe or not im being continually moaned at for spending _way_ too much time doing fanfiction. Oh well… *sigh* I do it anyway!

So, here y'are. :D

Chapter 9 

            "You're…? you…? No… no… it's not… you can't…" Jan rambled.

            "I am." Faith said simply.

            "Did you know?" He asked. Faith shook her head,

            "I had no idea. I didn't know vamps were real, I didn't know about slayers… not until _he_ told me."

            "The vampire leader?" 

            "Yeah."

            "So… how did you get away then? If they were there for the sole purpose of killing you…"

            "Broom handle." She murmured. "When he leant in to bite me…" She made a thrusting motion with her stake. "…he was an idiot."

            "Apparently… his plan sucked anyway, pardon the pun. Kill a slayer, get another one."

            "Kill her, and the next, and the next, all before they know, and bingo, no slayer." Faith added.

            "Well when you put it like that…"

            "So how did you know?" She asked.

            "About slayers an' stuff? After what happened, I found out all I could. I searched book stores and libraries, went into dodgy bars… it's not all that hard once you know its there."

            "I guess…" She said vaguely. She looked at him, not speaking for a moment. Her tears had dried up, but her eyes were still shining with them, "God." She breathed, "I can't believe you're alive."

            "Ditto." He replied, smiling.

            "So what are you doing in Sunny-hell?" Faith asked incredulously.

            "Vamps." He replied. "I've been tracking a group for a while- lead me here."

            "Well here happens to have an abundance of vamps." Faith said. "Sunnydale is on a hellmouth."

            "A what now?"

            "Hellmouth- 'a convergence of mystical energy'. Bad guys drawn to it like moths to the friggin' flame."

            "Yikes." Jan said, but he grinned a little, "And you're the big good guy in the hellmouth? The slayer- wow."

            "Not so much." Faith corrected, "B's the real in charge gal."

            "B?"

            "The girl who interrupted your fight earlier." She told him.

            "Oh… yeah, that sorta freaked me out. There were already way to many of the bastards, and when she turned up, I didn't know where I stood, y'know?"

            "I know." She nodded. 

            "So what's her deal?"

Faith laughed shortly,

            "She a slayer."

            "Erm… I thought there was only one?" Jan said, confused.

            "There was… there was B. Then she drowned- she was technically dead for a minute or two, but she was revived. She was dead long enough for a new slayer to be called. When Kendra died, I was called- viola me and B, the chosen two."

            "That's pretty big." Jan stated, "I mean… that totally changes everything… it's _always_ been the one slayer."

            "I know. B is kinda wacky like that." 

            "So… you been here long then?" He asked.

            "A while. Few months."

            "And you're happy?" He said tentatively. Faith looked at him sharply, wondering what he was insinuating. But his eyes showed no malice, just genuine concern. She sighed,

            "Yeah. I guess I am." She shook her head, "Is that wrong? I mean… it's less than a year, and I'm moving on… Is that… is that awful?" Her voice cracked slightly- this was the one subject that always shattered her permanent shield.

            "No!" He cried, "No way. They would want it. They would want you to be strong, to get over it- to get on with _your_ life, Missy."

Faith felt tears threaten again, but she sniffed them back,

            "When did you get all deep?" She asked with a sad smile.

            "Somewhere between watching all my friends die and learning to do something about it." He replied. Faith swallowed,

            "Jan, I… I'm so s…"

            "If you say sorry, I'll hit you. I swear I will. I told you, it wasn't your fault!"

Before Faith could reply, they both turned to the sound of running feet. A vampire was legging it round a corner, very clearly running for his life. His eyes widened at the sight of them, and he hesitated, glancing behind him. However, a moment later he continued running in their direction. Faith stood to meet him, but before he reached them, a figure appeared at the top of the wall he'd just rounded, and leapt down, knocking the vamp down and staking him. The figure straightened up, dusting herself off. She suddenly noticed that she wasn't alone, and looked up, startled. Faith was grining at her, 

            "Hey, B. Havin' fun?"

            "It's a blast." The blonde replied. She tilted her head to look behind the brunette slayer. "_F_, weren't you getting the other vamps?"

            "Been there, done that… Had a little help from my friends… or friend. B… this is Jan."  

Time seemed to freeze for a moment, while Buffy just gaped. Then,

            "Jan?" She said, "As in, _the _ Jan?"

            "You've seen the photos." Faith reminded her.

            "But… wow. Hey." She directed the last to the guy, who stepped forward. "Buffy Summers." She introduced herself.

            "Jan." He replied, more stiffly. Faith looked sidelong at him, noticing more than ever the difference between this guy and the shallow cheerleader she had known. A year ago he would have been grinning inanely at the sight of Buffy's well-toned curves, blonde hair, and pretty face. Though his eyes flickered over her, now he barely seemed to care that she was female.

            "He's the guy you warned me about." Faith said the three beginning to walk side by side, "Turns out he's been finding out about vamps and stuff ever since… that night. Even knows about slayers."

            "Never thought I would meet one though, let alone two at once… never thought it'd be you, either." He added the latter to Faith.

            "Yeah, well I'm just full of surprises." 

            "Don't we know it." Buffy said wearily.

            "Hey!"

            "Kiddin'." Buffy grinned. "So…you been in town long?" She asked Jan. 

            "Nearly a week." Jan replied.

            "Congrats. A week fighting vamps in the hellmouth an' your still alive- I'm impressed."

            "Thanks." He said wryly. Faith grinned,

            "I just wish I could see B here survive a cheerleading competition without layin' out the other teams." She said.

            "Hey!" Buffy cried, "I so don't _always_ resort to violence- why does everyone think I resort to violence? Oh, watch out!" 

Faith ducked quickly, and Buffy leapt over her, punching another vamp, and staking him fast.

            "Pretty much cos of that." Faith laughed.

            "Well you do it too." Buffy said sulkily. "Besides, I was a good cheerleader… until Amy's mom put a spell on me, an…"

            "Sure, B, whatever you say." Faith said sympathetically. Buffy socked her on the arm,

            "So what's _she_ like as a cheerleader?" Buffy asked Jan. He grinned,

            "You never had a demo?" He asked.

            "I saw the video, but I wanna know the truth, behind the scenes." She grinned.

            "The truth?" Jan said with a grimace, "Ok, the truth…" He grinned, "She was awesome."

Faith smiled, a true smile, which was really something considering the mood she often got into when thinking of her late friends.

            "Yeah, I mean, we were good, right?" Jan continued, "But when Missy came, everything changed…"

            "That's cos I found out Big Red had stolen all your cheers." Faith put in. He nudged her, and continued,  
            "I mean aside from that- you were good Miss, still could be."

Faith's eyes widened, and she looked away quickly, a cough hiding a squeal.

            "What the hell was that?" Buffy laughed.

            "Nothin' …nothin'."

            "They were _good_ days." Jan reminised. "But we got in some pretty odd positions." 

            "Damn straight we did." Faith agreed with a grin.

            "Positions? What kind of positions?" Buffy asked. Suddenly a grin blossomed on Jan's face,

            "Oh you don't wanna know." He said. Faith cracked up,

            "Now _that's_ the Jan I remember." She exclaimed.

            "I _meant_ cheerleading positions." He said in mock defense.

            "Course ya did."

            "God, you're making me out like some kind of huge perv!" Jan cried.

            "Well even if you aren't now, you definitely used to be." Faith said, still grinning widely. She leaned conspiratorially over to Buffy, "I swear I had more wedgies that year than in the rest of my entire life." 

            "Oh, too much info, Faith!" Buffy chuckled. 

            "Damn that was a good year." Faith said. "Never thought I'd…" she trailed off.

            "Hey…" Jan said quietly, putting an arm around her, "Hey, s'ok, Miss." 

Faith leant against his shoulder, no tears falling for she had none left, but as Buffy watched her sister slayer with the only other person who had survived the worst night of the girl's life, she knew that this was a moment of incredible weakness for her. A lot of the time- especially recently, Buffy forgot what Faith had been through- the brunette slayer was an expert at hiding weakness and emotion. Faith sniffed a couple of times, and swallowed, then detached herself from Jan and visibly forced a spring into her step,

            "Right, what's the time, B?" She said.

            "Nearly ten." Buffy replied. Faith groaned and rolled her eyes,

            "How can all the vamps have disappeared by _ten!?_" She exclaimed.

            "Could be something to do with two slayers and a vampire hunter waltzing through their feeding ground and killing half of them." Jan quipped.

            "Half… you think that's half?" Buffy said disbelievingly.

            "What? It's way more than I've ever faced on my own, so maybe not half, but that was a …"

            "Tiny-weeney, incy-wincy, miniscule proportion of the vamp population of SunnyD." Faith finished, "You got _a lot_ to learn, Jan."

            "So do we take him to Willy's, the South 'yard, or the Bronze?" Buffy asked. Faith considered it. She really _did_ consider finding Jan a real show of vamp numbers, she really did, but…

            "The Bronze." She grinned.

            "What's the bronze?" Jan asked.

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Please review!!


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